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A review by athousandgreatbooks
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
4.0
Written for none but his own eyes, Meditations contain pithy statements and passages that Aurelius wrote and accrued over the years to keep himself (and his 'directing mind') in check in times of distress as well as peace, and not to be swayed by either of them.
The book has various treatises on subjects like Death, Virtue, Time, the incorruptibility of the Mind, the Nature of the Universe - all good Stoic stuff. It is a quiet, easy read but one that requires to be re-read time and time again.
It is easy to see how so many self-help books may be inspired by these timeless Meditations of Aurelius, though in my consideration they do a paltry job by rounding off the rough edges that makes this aphoristic journal so profound. It is perhaps the most recognized book of Stoic philosophy. As my first book of 2020, I think it quite propitious that I should begin the year with Stoicism.
Also, love this quote: (When analyzing) What is this thing in itself, in its own constitution? What are its elements of substance and material, and of cause? What is its function in the world? What is its duration?
The book has various treatises on subjects like Death, Virtue, Time, the incorruptibility of the Mind, the Nature of the Universe - all good Stoic stuff. It is a quiet, easy read but one that requires to be re-read time and time again.
It is easy to see how so many self-help books may be inspired by these timeless Meditations of Aurelius, though in my consideration they do a paltry job by rounding off the rough edges that makes this aphoristic journal so profound. It is perhaps the most recognized book of Stoic philosophy. As my first book of 2020, I think it quite propitious that I should begin the year with Stoicism.
Also, love this quote: (When analyzing) What is this thing in itself, in its own constitution? What are its elements of substance and material, and of cause? What is its function in the world? What is its duration?